Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-16

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and taken thence to San Francisco. E. r.
Thurber settled in the valley in 1858, and
William Davis in 1859, and both engaged
in fruit-growing. Others also came in and
planted orchards and vineyards
WHY THIS DISTRICT ATTRACTED ATTEN-
TIoN.
The reason why the Naca district at
tracted horticulturists, while other districts
had cheaper lands, and were nearer to the
San Francisco market is explained by the
cases of J. NJ. Bassford, Sr., and W. W
Smith. Both Of these gentlemen, now
among the fruit kings of the coast, were
fruit-growers in Napa county. Mr.. Bass
tord's sons settled in sheltered nook
ofthe Lagunita valley, and when their vines
and trees commenced bearing the father
would come over and assist in gathering
the fruit, bringing with him stepladders
and boxes. Two or three seasons de-
veloped the fact that he could finish the
fruit-gathering in Lagunita valley and re-
turn to Napa valley with his boxes and
stepladders in time for the gathering
there. The further fact was developed
that the early fruit was two or three times
as profitable as that which matured three
or four weeks later. As a consequence of
these developments, Mr.. Bassford removed
to the Vaca district, where he has now,
with his sons, some of
THE FINEST FRUIT FARMS IN THE WORLD.
w. w. Smiths experience is similar to
that of Mr.. Bassford's. He owned a fruit
farm in Napa valley, which was profitable
to him, but he saw that he was raising
fruit and selling it at less than one-hall
the prices realized for the early fruits of
the Vaca district, and he removed to Vaca
valley, purchased land and planted out
orchards and vineyards. The great profits
realized from the early fruit drew many
others to that region, and steady devel-
opment resulted In 1878 the amount
of fruit shipped amounted to from thirty
to fifty tons daily This was all hauled to
the railroad at Elmira or Suisun, distances
varying from six to twenty miles.
RAILROAD FOR FRUIT SHIPPING.
There was a demand for cheaper and
more rapid transportation of this delicate
freight. A railroad was needed, and in
1868 Colonel A. NJ. Stevenson, an old resi-
dent, with the foresight to see the future of
these valleys, constructed the Vacaville
and Clear Lake Railroad, from Elmira on
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vile. This line was extended to Winters,
l miles, in 1875. The first season of the
railroad, 1869, the shipments of fruit
averaged about 40 tons per day. Better
and cheaper transportation stimulated
more tree and vine planting and more
careful and better packing of fruit, and the
result was vastly increased demand fer
fruit products.
OUTSIDE MARKETS ENJOYED.
The market for this fruit was not con-
fined as heretofore to San Francisco, but
it extended to Southern California, where
the first cherries, plums, peaches and
apricots eaten were and still are obtained
from the Faca district. The great mar
ket from the Eastern base of the Sierra
Nevadas to the Missouri river was opened
to the producers of the Naca district by
lowered rates of freight by the Central
Pacific Railroad. Gradually the mar
ket extended even still further East,
to the tides Of the Atlantic, and the
people of all that vast country had
the long winter Of their discomfort
made glorious summer by carloads of cher
ries, peaches and apricots from the hidden
valleys around Nacaville. The extension
of these markets by the lowering of rates
by the railroads, and the shipment of fruit
on passenger time gave an
IMMENSE IMPETUS TO FRUIT-GRowING.
1t is impossible to realize the wonderful
development that followed, without get
ting sight of the orchards and vineyard,
which extend from the southern end o.
Lagunita valley north through Naca anG
Pleasants valleys to the northern bound
ary Of the sheltered Putah basin. Some
idea of this development may be formed
by the fact that
100000 FRUIT TREES
Were planted in that district in 1897. In
addition to this large areas were wrested
from wheat-growing, and the domain Of
manzanita and chaparral brush planted in
grape vines and small fruits and yege.
tables. The railroad books show that in
1856 more than
TWENTY MILLION POUNDS
OF fruit and vegetables were grown. and
shipped from the Vaca district. This
amounts to 10000 tons. or 1000 ten-ton
f carloads. These figures are obtained from
, Colonel Stevenson, the former owner and
present manager Of the railroad, and they
are a complete Endorsement of his fore
sight, enterprise and public spirit in build
ing the railroad
; A SINGLE DAYS SHIPMENT.
On the 9th day of June, 1886, there
were shipped from the Vacaville station
alone 23l ,4l0 pounds of fruit, which is
more than 23l tons, or twenty-three ten
ton carloads. On the 9th day of July,
1886, these were shipped from the same
station 224, ,095 pounds of fruit
, THE SHIPMENTS FROM WINTERS
On the same dates were more than one
half as much as the above amounts On
the last date mentioned there were 1l6
fruit-growers who made shipments of fruit
at Nacaville. There are more than 200
fruit-growers who ship fruit from Vaca-
vile, and more than 100 who ship from
Winters. 1t is claimed that there are now
5000 acres of bearing fruit trees and vines
in Faca valley alone. and the area of bear
ing trees is rapidly increasing. In the
other valleys there must be fully as much
: more so that the Faca district must have
more than 10000 acres of bearing orchards
and vineyards at the present time.
SHIPMENT OF VEGETABLES.
Colonel Stevenson estimates that the
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year will aggregate more than thirty
million pounds, or ], 800 ten-ton carloads.
As there are $4,000 acres of incompara-
bic fruit and vine lands in this district
which are rapidly being converted into
orchards and vineyards, it follows that the
fruit shipments viii in the near future
amount to hundred of millions of pounds.
A BRIGHT OUTLOOK.
The future of this unexampled industry
is the most brilliant. In the past wears.
when it was compelled to meet wagon
transport over long, rough roads. and had
only the local markets, the outlook was
entirely different. There were times when
the market was oyerstoeked and prices
were not so satisfactory, but now the de-
mand is greater than the supply, and prices
are better than ever, and every man has
offers for more fruit than he can raise.
This year there are larger shipments of
all kinds of fruit to New York, Boston and
Philadelphia, and there is demand for
more than IS grown for those distant points
As bearing upon the